Chapter 347: Hunting a True Spirit

Jin So-myeong, who was scanning the jade slip handed over by Seomun Yeong, nodded his head.

In the jade slip, information about True Spirits or demonic beasts possessing special divine abilities was contained, and their active regions, divine abilities, temperaments, and so forth were recorded in detail.

“Not bad. I like it.”

“It is fortunate that you like it.”

Paying high-grade immortal stones for the information value, he scanned it once more.

The demonic beasts written in the jade slip were truly diverse.

Demonic beasts possessing absurdly sturdy bodies, demonic beasts whose survivability was outstanding enough not to be hunted even by Unity stage Dao Sovereigns, and so on.

There were many demonic beasts possessing coveted divine abilities.

‘Which divine ability should I aim for?’

In the process of cultivating the Golden Body Dharma Image, the opportunity to absorb a demonic beast’s inner core was nine times in total, and he had already used one of them.

And as it went further down, the probability of obtaining a demonic beast’s divine ability decreased.

At the first absorption of the inner core, one could obtain the demonic beast’s divine ability with a probability of one in a hundred.

At the second absorption, one in a thousand.

At the third absorption, one in ten thousand.

At the fourth absorption, one in a hundred thousand.

It was in this manner.

Although he could amplify the possibility of acquiring a divine ability with his Supreme Great Ability, there were limits even to that.

‘From the fourth absorption onward, it is correct to consider that there is almost no possibility of obtaining a divine ability.’

It meant he had to choose carefully, but suddenly this thought also came to him:

Now that he had reached the Unity stage, it seemed there would not be that many divine abilities outstanding enough to be actually meaningful.

Although having miscellaneous abilities would be convenient, it seemed they would not be able to achieve fundamental growth.

‘Should I rather go in the direction of strengthening the divine abilities I already possess…?’

For example, strengthening the Lightning Escape Art?

Just as he was deep in thought.

Seomun Yeong, who was communicating with someone, spoke with a slightly brightened face:

“Cultivator Jin. A reply came from the headquarters, stating that among the spiritual objects you mentioned, a minuscule amount of the Soul-Floating Lantern remains.”

“Oh, but if it is a minuscule amount, exactly how much is left?”

“As you know, because the Soul-Floating Lantern is a flame, it is difficult to measure precisely. If I must put it, it would be correct to say a single wisp of flame.”

As Seomun Yeong flicked her slender fingers, a tiny spark bloomed in the void, which looked like a red dot because it was so small.

It meant the Soul-Floating Lantern at the headquarters was at this level.

“I do not know where Cultivator Jin intends to use the Soul-Floating Lantern, but it will probably end even if you only light an incense candle.”

“Hmm… I will buy even that for now.”

Perhaps because the flame was faint, the price was also cheap. He could buy it with five stalks of ten-thousand-year-old Rank 7 spiritual herbs.

Although it was a flame so faint that it was hard to find a use, there was no reason not to buy it.

Although he did not openly show it, it actually did not matter that the flame was weak. Because he could raise it.

Since he possessed the Supreme Great Ability, he could resolve it in one way or another.

Was that why? He realized anew.

‘The Supreme Great Ability grows stronger as time goes on.’

Should he say it felt like he was gradually approaching omnipotence as his realm rose?

Ordinary problems could be easily resolved simply by using the Supreme Great Ability.

If time flowed like this, what kind of realm would the Supreme Great Ability reach?

Just as he was chewing on the thoughts that suddenly arose.

“And the Golden Blood Wood fruit and the Forget-Heaven Flower… honestly speaking, it is difficult to guarantee when supply will be secured.”

Both spiritual objects were things whose seeds had dried out in the Xuanhuang Realm.

The Golden Blood Wood fruit possessed excellent efficacy in treating internal injuries, so demand overflowed, and the Forget-Heaven Flower was even rarer.

The Forget-Heaven Flower was not used solely for making the Life-Returning Pill.

It was also the core ingredient of the pill called the Bright Soul Never-Forgetting Pill.

They say that if one consumes the Bright Soul Never-Forgetting Pill, they can preserve their memories when they reincarnate through samsara after death.

It was indeed an astonishing effect.

They said it was a spiritual herb that Unity stage Dao Sovereigns whose lifespans were ending searched for with burning eyes, and with good reason.

Although whether the Bright Soul Never-Forgetting Pill had actual efficacy, or rather, whether samsara even existed in the first place had not been properly revealed.

Would such words work on Dao Sovereigns on the verge of death?

If they could preserve memories after reincarnation, they could continue the Dao again.

Since it was no different from the last hope of life, it was a spiritual herb they sought to obtain by any means.

“My. Hearing you speak, it was indeed a spiritual herb far more precious than I thought.”

“It feels slightly like making an excuse, but yes. That is correct.”

It was a spiritual herb so precious that it was surprising that the Myriad Spirits Merchant Union had possessed it until a few years ago.

“Ah, in twenty-five years, an opportunity might arise.”

He asked back to her, who added a word as if it suddenly came to mind:

“In twenty-five years?”

“An exchange meeting for Unity stage Dao Sovereigns will be held then. Since numerous Daoist friends will gather, Cultivator Jin might find the spiritual objects you wish for.”

Gathering detailed information about the exchange meeting, he also brought up other business.

He purchased a huge amount of thunder-attributed spiritual objects to give as a gift to Geum-cheong, and also purchased a large quantity of earth-attributed spiritual objects to awaken the True Spirit Gon-ak.

“I wish to know if there are secret realms valid for Unity stage cultivators.”

“…Secret realms?”

“Yes.”

Seomun Yeong, who fell silent for a moment, muttered almost inaudibly:

“Cultivator Jin truly has an extremely strong aspiration for cultivation…”

“Is this also difficult?”

She, who sent a strange look, shook her head very slowly and handed over a jade slip.

“No. I will give you the information we possess.”

Over thousands of secret realms were recorded, but regrettably, there was no suitable secret realm.

Although there were quite a few secret realms helpful to cultivation, the timing did not align.

The secret realm that opened the earliest also opened two hundred and fifty years later.

“Are there no other secret realms? Those whose rumors have not spread yet.”

“None. Even the most recently appeared secret realm was discovered fifty thousand years ago, so how could rumors not have spread? If such a secret realm exists… it would be in the Ancient Wilderness, the unpioneered territory.”

Thinking deeply at her words, a decent method came to mind.

“Then, I wish to personally place a bounty, can you help me?”

“A bounty?”

“I wish to publicly announce that I will give a Dao Integration Pill to anyone who reports a secret realm valid for Unity stage cultivators.”

Because it was a simple matter for the Myriad Spirits Merchant Union that possessed a vast influence, he had requested it, but Seomun Yeong, who frowned for a split second, spoke in a cautious tone:

“Are you saying it is correct that you will offer a Dao Integration Pill simply for information on a secret realm?”

“Yes.”

He already possessed the core ingredients to make the Dao Integration Pill and could copy them.

That meant, in turn, that he could also copy the Dao Integration Pill.

“…Understood. We will announce the news that Cultivator Jin has placed a bounty across the entire Xuanhuang Realm.”

*

Jin So-myeong, who came out of the Myriad Spirits Merchant Union, deployed the Taixu Shapeless Robe, his concealment technique, to hide his presence.

Simultaneously, he summoned about a hundred clones and scattered them in all directions.

Because he intended to investigate somewhat sensitive information this time, he had hidden his identity.

Just how much time had passed?

Jin So-myeong, who sat cross-legged in the cave dwelling he rented temporarily, narrowed his eyes.

Upon becoming an Unity stage cultivator, he obtained a map larger and more detailed than the one he used in the past, and thanks to that, he came to learn in detail about the Xuanhuang Realm.

First, examining the topography of the Xuanhuang Realm, one could see that it had a shape surrounded on all sides by unpioneered territories.

Although extremely wide, in the end, it was a region isolated like an island.

For reference, the name of the city he was currently in was the Sky-Opening Immortal City, famous as the place where a Great Ascension stage cultivator was born three million years ago.

And also.

This place was not the Dark Heaven Xuan, but the Gwangun Xuan.

Comparing it to the Dark Heaven Xuan, his original region, it was a place far closer to the center of the Xuanhuang Realm.

Normally it should take a substantial amount of time to come here from the Dark Heaven Xuan, but under the active assistance of the Sacred Scale Alliance, he could utilize the teleportation array and came comfortably thanks to that.

Fact is, utilizing a long-distance teleportation array was not simply easy. All kinds of trivial problems blocked his path.

Even the teleportation array fee alone was substantial, and the problem of proving identity was also complex…

the Sacred Scale Alliance handled all of it.

Although they helped so actively that it was almost suspicious, he ignored it for now.

Because if a problem arose, he could visit them again later.

At any rate, other things were more important now than such trivial problems.

‘This is truly too much. Should I say it is severe?’

The reason it was hard to ascend to the Great Ascension stage. Or rather, the reason it was considered impossible.

He clearly realized one of those reasons.

Even searching the entire Xuanhuang Realm, there was not a single Rank 8 spiritual vein.

Did that make sense?

Dozens or hundreds of Gyeong (Realms) must gather to be a Hyeon (Province),

and dozens of Hyeon must gather to finally be called a Gye (Realm).

To think there was not a single Rank 8 spiritual vein in a land so vast it was distant.

It made no sense. It was clearly an abnormal affair.

‘I must consider it a situation where someone’s intention has intervened.’

The same was true for the Sky-Opening Immortal City, known as the place where a Great Ascension stage cultivator was born.

A Rank 8 spiritual vein should exist normally, yet there was none.

Even the most outstanding spiritual vein in the Sky-Opening Immortal City ended at Rank 7 medium-grade.

It was inferior to the Secret Realm of the Mind’s spiritual vein, which was at the edge of Rank 7 high-grade.

‘Rather than it being like this originally… it is correct to consider that Rank 8 spiritual veins existed but disappeared.’

Why did they disappear?

Did they shatter the spiritual veins after ascending to the Great Ascension stage?

Or they might have taken the spiritual veins entirely when leaving the city.

Since there were also rumors that Great Ascension stage cultivators left the mortal world and ascended to the heavens, it was not an entirely hopeless story.

Just as he was deep in thought while tapping his scabbard.

Suddenly, various events experienced in the human realm before his ascension flashed by.

The Star-Shattering True Monarch, who searched for an inheritor for two hundred thousand years, established a sacred city in the Middle Province.

Planting the Nine Heavens Divine Wood that absorbed the surrounding heaven and earth Qi, he controlled the Rank 5 spiritual veins.

He suppressed cultivators so they could not ascend to the Soul Formation stage.

Frankly speaking, he thought it was too excessive.

If even the Rank 5 spiritual veins were controlled, just how was one to prove being the inheritor?

In such an environment, no matter how outstanding one’s talent, they could not become a Soul Formation stage cultivator unless heavenly luck favored them.

But reaching the present, reflecting on the events experienced in the human realm, this thought also came:

‘Did they intentionally create an environment similar to the upper realm?’

Presumably, the past leaders of the human race would have realized the fact that even if they searched the entire upper realm, there were no Rank 8 spiritual veins.

Therefore, they established the sacred city to control the Rank 5 spiritual veins.

Because a person who could not even resolve that degree of problem had no meaning even if they ascended to the upper realm.

‘If so… there must also be an organization that searches for and disposes of the Heaven-Defying Treasures.’

Nine times out of ten, there would be a faction similar to the sacred city in the upper realm, and probably not just one.

And perhaps…

‘they have targeted me by now.’

It was a natural result since he had openly struck the Sacred Scale Alliance.

Since they were a faction associated with the Great Ascension stage, their cultivation methods would differ from ordinary cultivators. They would probably be immensely strong.

But it was fine.

He had anticipated to some degree that such problems would arise from the moment he struck the Sacred Scale Alliance.

Nevertheless, the reason he struck the Sacred Scale Alliance…

was to take one more step forward than now, and achieve Silent Life.

That because information on the Great Ascension stage was hard to obtain, it was necessary to clash with subordinate factions?

There were such minor reasons, but what was more important lay elsewhere.

The youngest among the Great Ascension stage entities was an old monster who had lived for over three million years.

What about the others?

They probably lived several times longer.

In that distant time, just how many divine abilities did they master? And just how strong would they be?

He could make a conclusion. That he could not reach them simply by walking normal paths.

So he took risks by striking the Sacred Scale Alliance.

With the feeling of throwing himself into a furnace where lava boiled.

“…Good.”

Although he felt slightly at a loss, he was rather pleased because of that.

He believed that if he walked step-by-step, he would find himself at his goal at some moment.

Therefore, what he had to do now…

was to pick and seek out demonic beasts and True Spirits possessing useful divine abilities.

*

The demonic beast Jin So-myeong chose first was the Three-Eyed Giant Cat.

It was a Void Refinement stage-grade demonic beast possessing a foresight divine ability, and they said it knew in advance what would happen to itself.

The moment danger was about to befall, it would suddenly depart. Hiding in remote valleys or deep in the abyss?

Although it was only a future limited to itself, because it possessed the ability to read the future and had extremely strong vigilance, it was a tricky demonic beast to capture.

‘Let us go first.’

It might flee after knowing in advance the fact that he was coming, but it also might not.

The Silent Life Token he possessed blocked even the gaze of Great Ascension stage entities.

It would be able to easily neutralize the foresight ability of a Void Refinement stage-grade demonic beast.

‘Although blocking the gaze does not necessarily mean neutralizing the foresight ability.’

At any rate, he believed that capturing a Void Refinement stage-grade demonic beast could be resolved somehow.

Visiting the Three-Eyed Giant Cat’s habitat while thinking of various things…

as soon as he arrived, a cat as large as a house approached and coughed up its inner core with a retch.

“…”

As it lightly pushed its inner core with its front paw shaped like a cotton ball, he had nothing to say.

To think it came on its own and offered its inner core when he had not even done anything yet.

Could it be that it gave up after reading the future that it would be captured in the end?

Meow!

Having lost its inner core, which was practically the source of its strength, the limp fellow stared at him.

“My, what a wondrous fellow.”

Reviving its inner core using the Myriad Flows Restoration, he handed over the Dao Integration Pill he copied in advance.

Only then did the cat, whose eyes had turned satisfied, make a purring sound and suddenly departed.

As if its business was finished.